Casey Mungo pictured with his wife Stacina and daughter Sadie.
Casey Mungo, Executive Vice President at Daum Commercial, started his real estate career in 2005. Since then, Casey has become one of the company’s top producers. He has qualified for Daum’s prestigious “President’s Club” the last nine consecutive years and was the top-producing agent, company-wide, in 2014 and 2017. In his free time, Casey enjoys outdoor related activities such as jet-skiing, kite-surfing, wakeboarding, camping, and hiking. Casey resides in Seal Beach with his wife Stacina and daughter Sadie.
Q: How has your past influenced your present?
A: Experience is always a big factor in working through adversity. Whether it was the countless hours practicing for athletics or even working full-time while going to school full-time my senior year in college, both shaped my outlook on day-to-day tasks. Sometimes it’s not enough to just work harder, you also need to work smarter and plan ahead.
Q: What advice would you give to a broker who has been in the business less than five years?
A: Treat every agent you work with the way you would like to be treated. Don’t sacrifice your relationship with other brokers to make an extra deal. When working with your clients, don’t be afraid to tell them to take a deal that you may not be a part of. If you look out for the client’s best interest to your own detriment, it typically comes back to you in the long run with future business or referrals.
Q: What would readers be surprised to learn about you?
A: Readers would be surprised to learn that I was a Division I college wrestler and that I currently play Ice Hockey. In both sports people assume you need to be ultra-aggressive to do well, and people say I don’t come off that way.
Q: How has AIR CRE helped your business dealings?
A: In the ever-changing world of industrial real estate, AIR CRE has been critical in keeping its Members up to date on changes to the laws, while constantly improving its own technology platform. Furthermore, AIR CRE gives me the confidence when working with other AIR CRE Members that I may not have worked with in the past that the transaction will be consummated in a professional and ethical manner.
Q: How do you spend your time when you aren’t working?
A: Spending time with my wife, Stacina, and 2-year-old daughter, Sadie. I also play ice hockey two nights per week to stay in shape.
Q: If you could change one thing from your past, either in your business or personal life, what would it be and why?
A: I had a plan prior to entering into real estate to move to New Zealand after I graduated from Cal State Fullerton and become a high school wrestling coach. The plan was to live abroad a couple years and travel. I started working at Daum Commercial when I was 20, between my junior and senior year in college. After working at Daum for a year, I could see the potential and decided to stick it out. I am thankful I did because I am very happy working in commercial real estate, but I am sure I would have had a lot of fun assimilating to another culture abroad as well.
Q: What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?
A: “He was kind to everyone he met.”
Q: What is your biggest personal accomplishment?
A: I was a high school All-American in wrestling, placing third in the High School National tournament in Virginia. I also represented the California team in Fargo, North Dakota, placing top 3 in my weight class 3 different years in the Freestyle and Greco Roman California State tournament.
Q: What person do you admire most and why?
A: My mother. Being the father of a 2-year-old, I have come to appreciate my mother raising my sister and I by herself with no real help. Given that my wife and I have grandparents on both sides of the family nearby, which is extremely helpful, but raising kids is still tough.
Q: What is one thing that causes you stress and how do you deal with it?
A: Sometimes it is hard to “turn off” on the weekends or at night. For the first 13 years, I didn’t notice it as much. When you have a 2-year-old, you need to be mentally there, not just physically there. I have done a much better job of setting my phone down when with the family.